Improvement in evaporating-pans



J. GRISWOLD. Evaporatng-Pan.

Patented March 12., 1878.

ATTORN EY NPETERS. FHDTO-L|IHOGRAFNER, wAsrnNGTOny D C.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT .OEEIGE JOHN enIsvvoLD, or EANDON, ILLINOIS.

lMP-RVEMEN'l IN EVAPORATING-PANS,

Specification forming part of LettersPatentNo. 201,110, dated March 12, 1878; application iiled July 7, 1877. f

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G RIswoLD, of

Fanden, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Evaporating-Pans; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,- and to the letters and gures of reference markedthereou.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a plan view of my evaporating-pan. Fig. 2is a longitudinal vertical central sectional view, taken through line as as, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken through line w so', Fig. 2;- and Fig. 4isa sectional detail of the same, taken through line y y, Fis'- 1.

My invention relates to evaporators for the manufacture of molasses and sugar from sorghum and other sugar-producing plants; and the nature of my invention consists, essentially, in the construction and arrangement of devices by which the green, impure substance or scum is separated and A removed from the juice; in a cooling apparatus arranged to prevent the agitation of boiling from mixing the scum that has once risen with the juice again; and in the combination of parts, all as hereinafter more fully set forth. c v.

The annexed drawings, to which reference is made, fully illustrate my invention.

4A is the evaporating-pan, placed on top of the furnace B, and provided with a series'of transverse partitions, which divide the pan into three'chambers, G1 C2 C3, at the end im mediately over the fire, and a series of chambers, C C, for the remainder of its length.

The chambers Cl C2 O3 are, on one side, extended a suitable distance beyond the side of the furnace, and at the outer end of each of these chambers the bottom forms inclines E E, as shown.

G is a. box, into which the juice is fed, and from the same extends a cooler, H, under the projecting ends of the chambers C1 C2 C". On thepartitions dividingthese chambersis placedV a movable carriage, I, carrying a shaft, a, to which are attached three pairs or sets of spring-arms, b b, for supporting the skimmers J J. These are made in the form of a pan, open .at the front, and provided with perforated bottoms e. extends a T-shaped arm, d, which is placed between the spring-arms b b, and the ends of these 4arms b are bent outward, and sprung into holes made in the side flanges of the skimmer. The two outer pairs of arms b are, at their rear or inner ends, provided with counterbalancing-wcights K, while the middle pair or set is, by a rod, f, connected with a pivoted lever, L, as shown, for operating the skimmers.

In the manufacture of molasses and sugar from sorghum, or similar articles, one of the essential points is the removal of the scumwithout its having boiled under again after once rising; for if it does get mixed with the juice by boiling or other disturbance after the juice is partially cooked, no amount of boiling and skimming will remove it without the use ofdrugs, which ,are neither economical, palatable, nor conducive to health. This green substance can be effectually removed from my evaporator, for its cells are much larger than the cells of the juice-unless its cells are disturbed and broken; and as the skimmers can be made offmaterial so finely perforated that n unbroken scum-cells will not pass through, while juice-cells will pass freely, it is .easy to perceive that the two will be separated if a proper place is provided for the scum to collect and rest without being broken up by the boiling process. Such a place is provided in my evaporator by the cool juice constantly flowing beneath that portion outside the furnace in each of the three skimming-chambers or sections C1 G2 G3.

By this arrangement there can be no mixing of green with partially-cooked juice, for the green juiceflows in through the feeder G in a regular stream sufficient to supply the evap orator, and, passing beneath the sections C2 O3, rises considerably heated through the inlet h into the section or chamber C1, and as violent boiling, goes on at the inner end of this section, and, in fact, in all three of the skimming-sections, the scum rises to the surface of the foam, and naturally flows down to the From the back of each panA outer cooler ends of said sections, where it never boils, and there remains until taken off by a stroke of the skimmers.

It will be observed that the juice rises at h considerably heated, so that it boils at the other end of the first section, and receives one skimming before passing through the port into the second section G2, and another skimming before passing through 7c into the third section G3, and still another before it passes through m into the sections C.

Thus no hand skimming will be found necessary, excepting when iirst starting up in the morning, and not then if the bottom of the evaporator is covered with spring or well water, and the juice allowed to follow it and be skimmed. g

The cooler H can easily be cleaned of sediment each evening by closing the; opening h and opening a passage, a, beneath the cooler and throwing in water at G.

In the feeder G is a float, G', which is to be connected by a wire, p, with a stop-cock or faucet in the feed-pipe, and thus regulate the feed, whereby the depth of the juice in the evaporator is also regulated. This is of great importance, as a uniform depth of juice is essential to a nice working of the skimmers, and saves much watchin g and trouble.

Under the rear end of the evaporating-pan is a damper, M, working as follows: From the re-box of the furnace B the smoke and heat passage is divided into two flues, N and O, the flue N running next to Vand immediately beneath vthe bottom of the evaporator, and the other, O,one or two feet under ground,but meeting in one common chimney at the rear end of the pan. 4

The molasses or sirup frequently becomes so thick in the last three or four sections C that it would be impossible to prevent burning if an active lire were kept; but by closing the damper M the current of heat is made to take the lower iiue O, and while the heat and boiling in the skimming-sections G1 C2 G3 remain unchanged, the other sections are protected from the heat to any extent desired by the operator.

By experiments I have found that the best location for this damper is at the point as. shown in the drawing, because, as the heat naturally ascends, it is unnecessary to close the under iiue at any time, for when the upper one is open the kheat all passes through it, and the damper being placed far back from the fire does not burn out so much, and at alltimes serves asa protection to the sirup in the last y -all the scum 0E toward the cooler end.

In aworking evaporator there should be one of these blocks in each of the three skimmingsections, but especially in the third section G3, and they are raised up by pins s about threefourths of an inch from the bottom.

One person can operate this evaporator with perfect ease. The juice is supplied at G and regulates itself. The operator stands at the opposite side, and by means of the lever L performs the skimming. The damper is also at this point, for regulating the heat; and a slide, It, in the last l section C, is on the same side, for regulating the outflow of the sirup, While under his immediate observation are all the sections that may have thick sirup in to need his attention.

The various parts of the evaporator may be made of any material most suitable for the purpose.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The cooler H, extending from the feeder G under the extended skimming-sections C102 G3, for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The skimmers J, constructed as hereinbefore described and suspended from the spring-arms b, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination of the skimmers J, arms b, shaft a, carriage I, wei ghts K, and operatinglever L, substantially herein set forth.

4. The blocks P, supported upon pins s in the inner ends of the skimming-sections, for the purposes herein set forth.

.In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GRISWOLD. Witnesses:

ROBERT JEFFRrEs, MINToN HATFIELD.

as and for the purposes 

